Heartbreak Warfare
by PlayTheGame
Summary: The business brought them together. Then it forced them apart. Life went on and they tried to start again. But when you truly love someone, can you ever really let them go? HHH/Steph AU-ish
1. Prologue

_**A/N - I know I have no business starting another new story but it's happening so deal with it. This is sort of an AU I guess but not really so I don't know what it is o_O. ENJOY DURR...**_

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_**Heartbreak Warfare**_

_Lightning strikes inside my chest to keep me up at night, dream of ways to make you understand my pain…Good to know it's all a game. Disappointment has a name, it's heartbreak, heartbreak._

"If this is meant to be then it will happen for us. But right now with my dad and all the boys breathing down our necks, maybe it isn't the right time."

A deafening silence engulfed the already quiet room. Stephanie McMahon stared at him not fully sure what she wanted his reaction to be. Part of her, the rational part, wanted him to agree with her. The other part, the irrational and desperately in love with him part, wanted him to fight for her no matter the consequences. But that wasn't fair because there were consequences. She came with a price and a costly one at that. Deep down inside, she knew she couldn't ask him to sacrifice everything he had ever worked for to be with her. Already people were questioning his motives, questioning his achievements and writing them off as being handed to him because he was fucking the boss's daughter. It ate her alive and disgusted her all at the same time. The only person it ate alive more was the man standing in front of her right now.

"I don't think there's ever going to be a right time for us, Steph," Paul Levesque replied with a solemn smile. He knew both of them had been thinking this for weeks now. It looked like she was finally the one with enough courage to actually come out and say it. He didn't know what to think or how to react. He loved her with everything he had. But he also loved his career. He lived to wrestle and right now that passion was being called into question for no reason other than who he decided to spend his time with. It was fucking bullshit. What gave everybody the right to suddenly interfere with his life? This was between him and Stephanie. As he stood there once again trapped in her deep blue eyes, he knew that couldn't be further from the truth. Whether he liked it or not, the entire locker room was involved and ultimately it was they, not he, who were having the biggest impact on all this.

"I don't know what you want me to say." She was just as confused as he was. Neither of them knew what to do.

"Maybe there is nothing to say. Seems like everybody else's opinion matters more than ours. They're the ones doing all the talking." He fought to keep his anger in check. Paul would never tell her but every time he heard a sly remark or snicker under somebody's breath as he walked past it ate a hole in his gut. It literally tore him apart. A few months ago people were all over his jock and couldn't praise him enough for returning after the quad injury. Now? It seemed he couldn't do anything right. He'd gone from a guy who worked his ass off to get his spot to the guy who was handed everything through his girlfriend. It killed him way more than he was willing to admit and in the back of his mind, he always questioned whether this was worth it, whether _she_ was worth it.

Stephanie frowned at the angry look that crossed his face. She knew how much it bothered him. He didn't have to tell her for her to realise how badly all the snide comments hurt. Even people he considered friends had turned their backs on him and no matter how many times she told herself it wasn't her fault, she knew that it was all because of her. The guilt she felt as a result was enough for her to let him go. It had to be. She was career suicide, a toxic poison that had already infected him. The only cure was to stop this before they got any deeper. The only problem was that she had already fallen and fallen hard. She loved him. And walking away was going to break her heart.

"I don't want to end this, Steph." His voice was quiet and touch tender as he reached across to entwine their fingers. "But I'm scared. Actually I'm fucking terrified. I don't know…I don't know what to do. I just know that I love you. That's it, that's the only thing that's real; it's the only thing I trust. I'm just scared that it might not be enough to deal with everything else." Paul reached up to wipe away the tears that started to slowly trickle down her cheeks. It took everything he had not to pull her close and make her feel safe, make her feel happy. But he didn't know if that was his place any more, hell, it probably never was to begin with.

"I'm scared too. And I hate this so much," her voice wavered slightly. Tears had started to fall but she wasn't going to cry. She had to be strong for both of them. She tugged on his hand, meaning to pull him into her but he held steady, not moving. As she looked into his eyes she noticed the change. He was staring at the wall behind her head, his expression blank as his fingers slowly slid from her grasp. Stephanie barely managed to choke back her sob as it finally began to sink in. This was really happening. They were over.

A thick lump formed in his throat and Paul felt his chest grow so tight it started to hurt. "You had better go."

"Paul….."

"Please, Steph. Before I lose the strength to let you walk out of this room."

His sad eyes avoided her at all costs and for a split second she debated respecting his wishes. But she just couldn't leave without making sure he knew how she felt. "I just need you to kno….."

"_Steph_."

"No! I'm not leaving until I tell you that I love you. I love you, Paul and I just need you to know that," she pleaded desperately.

"I know," came his whispered reply. He did know and it only made everything worse. This was torture.

With a steady breath, Stephanie took one last look at him and felt her heart break all over again. She had to go and she had to do it now before she completely broke down. Her watery eyes lingered for a few final seconds and somewhere deep down she found the courage to walk away from the best thing that ever happened to her.


	2. Forever Changed

_**Forever changed, forever changed, nothing ever stays the same…forever named, forever changed…**_

**3 Years Later**

The beeping from the alarm was painstakingly loud as Stephanie rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. Seven AM. Time to go to work. Her manicured finger pressed the big red button bringing an instant end to the annoying sound. It was amazing just how little time she needed to fully wake up. But her body was wired even in sleep. It was the lifestyle she led. There was no time for sleep and even less time to waste. With a self serving sigh, she got out of bed and walked to the adjoining bathroom. A heavy puff of steam hit her face as she stepped onto the cold tiled floor. Her lip curled into a smirk at the sight of the unruly shampoo covered head that poked out from the glass shower door.

"Help, I dropped the soap."

Stephanie took one look at his serious expression and burst out laughing. Mario, her Latin heartthrob. They'd been dating for almost two years now and had just recently decided to move in together. For the past couple of weeks she'd been invited to join him in the shower. Sometimes she obliged but not today.

"Well I'm sorry about that but you're just going to have to bend down and pick it up yourself."

"You're no fun," he huffed before disappearing under the water again.

Stephanie ignored him and went about brushing her teeth. Today was too important for any distractions. That included morning shower sex with her boyfriend unfortunately. Simply put, she was a huge ball of nerves. Raw was in Madison Square Garden tonight and for the first time in almost three years she was set to appear on WWE television again. To say she was a wreck was an understatement. She was absolutely crapping herself for lack of a better term and being on camera was only half the reason why. She would be in the back, she would be expected to do the rounds and show her face after being gone for so long. She still worked for the company but strictly in the office now. Three years ago she had ran from everything to do with WWE TV and never looked back. Besides, she was happy now. More than happy. Without the travel her life was a lot less hectic. She had an amazing guy, she was in love, everything was perfect.

Mario had been a breath of fresh air and a sure fire change of pace from the jacked up locker room of WWE. They had been set up by a mutual friend and had been inseparable ever since. Admittedly, Stephanie was surprised at her attraction to him. His complete lack of knowledge about the wrestling business should have been off putting but instead she found it refreshing. Obviously he'd grown to become a fan but in the beginning they never talked about wrestling or the business. It was exactly what she needed at the time after the break up with Paul.

"God," she chuckled in amusement to herself. She hadn't seen him in so long and if she was being honest with herself, he was the main reason for her nerves. She just….didn't know what she would say if she saw him tonight and the chances of that happening were very high all things considered. It was going to be awkward and she didn't know how she felt about that. It wasn't like she loved him anymore. At one point in her life she loved him so much it consumed her to the point that she thought she'd never get over him. That's why she distanced herself from TV any chance she got. After they broke up they had been forced to work together on TV to play out the rest of their storyline for another four months. It had been the most torturous four months of her life. Soon after they 'divorced' she jumped to Smackdown while he stayed on Raw, a little after that and she was off TV all together. And it had been good for her, there was no denying that. Truthfully she didn't miss it. She was happy with her life now and that wasn't going to change because of one night back on the show.

"I don't think you heard a single word I just said."

His words and warm hand resting on her hip tore her from her thoughts. She'd been standing there staring into space with the toothbrush hanging out of her mouth.

"Steph!" Mario chuckled, this time wrapping his arms fully around her waist and pressing his chest into her back. They looked at each other in the mirror. "I asked what time you want me to come to the arena tonight?"

Stephanie could feel the back of her night shirt growing damp as she rested against him. He hadn't dried yet. Finally coming to her senses, she shook her head and pulled the brush from her mouth. "I'll call you. You can meet me before and we can go in together."

Mario noticed her eyebrows pulling together as her face grew slightly rigid and tightened his grip around her waist. "It'll be fine. I'm sure everybody can't wait to see you."

"Yeah." His bright smile was almost enough to put her at ease. Unfortunately he just didn't understand the business no matter how many times she explained it to him. Everybody would pretend that it was great to see her again when in actual fact they probably didn't give a fuck. To them she was and always would be Vince's little girl. The fact that she had been gone for so long didn't matter. They probably barely realized she left. Bless Mario though for trying to make her feel better. Her free hand rested over his and gave it a gentle squeeze. He just didn't understand but she was happy he was coming. She needed him for moral support if nothing else. And he was really excited to finally attend a show. He had been begging for what seemed like forever now and probably found it weird that she never brought him. Now he would be sitting front row with a few of his buddies watching her in the ring with her family. The thought brought a smile to her face and she squeezed his hand again before stepping out of his embrace. "I gotta get ready."

"I'll finish up outside and let you get showered, babe," Mario said softly, dropping a quick kiss to her cheek and stepping into the bedroom to get dressed.

Alone with her thoughts, Stephanie stripped out of her clothes and climbed in the shower letting the hot stream of water calm her nerves. Tonight was going to be fine. She just had to get over herself really. She was Stephanie McMahon. So what if the boys wouldn't be happy to see her? She wasn't coming back for them. She was coming back for her family and she simply couldn't wait to hear the roar of the crowd and feed off their adrenaline. Being in front of a WWE crowd was a rush like no other. Being in front of a WWE crowd at MSG went beyond that. It was an experience like nothing else. All she had to do was turn up and find out just what exactly her father had planned for the segment.


	3. What Becomes of the Broken Hearted

_**As I walk this land of broken dreams, I have visions of many things…What becomes of the broken hearted…Who had love that's now departed…I know I've got to find, some kind of peace of mind…Help me…**_

Paul's big fingers clumsily filtered through his gym bag. He arrived to MSG early in the hope that the ring would be free and he could just run the ropes and spend some time alone in there. Lately it was the only place where he truly felt like himself. Usually ten thousand screaming fans would have been ideal and he was absolutely looking forward to that later on. Right now however, the special solitude that came from standing in the middle of an empty arena was exactly what he needed.

Suddenly, the door sprung open and the last person he wanted to see stuck his head inside. Paul inwardly groaned. So much for hitting the ring.

"Hunter! Just the man I'm looking for," Vince McMahon boomed loudly even though it was just the two of them. The old man just didn't know the meaning of the word quiet. "Do you have some time? I was hoping I could get us all together and run over the script for tonight?"

Paul studied his excited face and couldn't help but give in. The man had been involved in this business all his life and it still made him as giddy as a child. Funnily enough, he was exactly the same. It was something that they shared, a common bond between two guys who just loved wrestling and everything to do with it. A haphazard smile crossed his face. "Well I was just about to go hit the ring but I guess we can do this now if you want."

"Oh no, that's fine. Ste…..everybody isn't here yet anyways now that I think of it so it's probably better that we wait," Vince caught himself. That was close. The truth was, Paul didn't know that Stephanie was going to be involved in this and he didn't want him to know until right before they would go on the air so he couldn't refuse. Stephanie was a bit of a touchy subject with Paul and vice versa. Both of them had moved on with their lives but there was still that undercurrent of tension when the subject arose of their previous relationship. It was much better to wait and just spring it on him rather than give him time to say no. Not that he would. Paul loved the WWE and would do anything Vince asked of him. That's why he told him to break it off with his daughter all those years ago. It was better for everybody. Since then Stephanie was involved in the office and Paul's career had flourished without obstacle. He didn't foresee any problems with them working together now. They had matured and at the end of the day, they had walked away from each other and hadn't gone back. That meant that their feelings weren't as strong as initially believed. It wasn't going to be a problem. "Don't worry. I'll send my assistant to grab you when we're all here and can do a proper run through."

"No problem, Vince. Catch you later," Paul said basically to himself as Vince was gone in a flash. Well that was…..odd. As a matter of fact, Vince had been acting a bit strange with him all week. He just brushed it off as Vince being Vince. He was a character to say the least.

Paul started removing the various bits and pieces from the gym bag and laying them out one by one on the bench. Trunks, knee pads, elbow pads and boots. He also pulled out a pair of black shorts and a shirt to wear over his gear until the show started. A few minutes later and he was dressed except for the shirt. Just as he started pulling it on, he heard a gentle rap on the door. Now what? But a slow smile crept on to his face when he saw the blonde head that peeped through.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself," Trish Stratus returned his smile, her eyes wandering to his exposed chest just before the shirt dropped from his grasp and covered his skin. She quietly walked into the room and stood before him. "I was hoping I'd find you here."

"What brings you by?"

"I just wanted to know if we're still on for tonight?"

Paul cleared his throat and nodded his head. "Sure. You know what room I'm in. Swing by around midnight. I'll be there."

"Great," she replied, her hand briefly running along his arm. "See you later."

He watched her as she left the room as quietly as she came in, his eyes glued to her ass. That ever familiar pang of guilt threatened to flow to the surface and he pushed it down. They weren't doing anything wrong. It was just sex between two lonely people who couldn't be bothered hitting clubs or bars to look for it anywhere else. He got her off and she him. That was it. He didn't have feelings for her. He cared about her, sure, but not enough to put himself out there for a relationship. He'd tried dating in the business, twice. Both times ended up biting him in the ass and he'd just accepted the fact that his lifestyle wasn't conducive to holding a steady relationship. Nobody understood, nobody except those in the same line of work. One night Trish had very subtly come on to him in the hotel bar. An hour later and they were in her room screwing each other senseless. The next morning he wasn't there when she woke up. A few days later and the cycle repeated itself. Again, he wasn't there when she woke up. It kept happening until it became a regular thing. Finally she confronted him, telling him that she wasn't looking for something serious. She was just sick of being lonely. After that they had an arrangement and he found himself in a hollow and purely sexual relationship if you could even call it that. Paul refused to admit how much that bothered him but it was what it was. He didn't have time for anything else. His life had been reduced to this, a casual fuck on the road because he was afraid to put himself out there again. If he wasn't so eager to bury his head in the sand he would have chastised himself for being so pathetic. And lately he got the feeling that perhaps Trish was expecting a little more than he was willing to give. If he wasn't careful he could end up hurting her and current situation aside, he wasn't an asshole. The last thing he wanted was for either of them to get hurt. So far they had successfully managed to keep feelings out of the bedroom. It was a classic case scenario of friends with benefits. Hell, a lot of the boys thought he was a hero for creating what they termed the perfect get up for himself. He had a bombshell at his beckon call, ready to do business whenever he wanted a piece of ass yet he could still pull something fresh if the need arose and she wasn't around. For most guys yeah, it was probably the best set of circumstances you could have.

It was funny how strongly he disagreed with them. And he had made a strict agreement with Trish that he wouldn't sleep around on the basis that she wouldn't either. The boys didn't know that but he wasn't about to correct them. For years the locker room had ripped him a new ass over the whole Stephanie situation. If they wanted to talk him up for a change he wasn't going to stop them. As he stood there and thought about the whole thing he realised how truly fucked up it was. He hated being alone but wouldn't commit to a relationship and he didn't want to be in a relationship yet he was exclusive to one woman. Talk about retarded. His head was gone with the fucking fairies. And it was starting to hurt, the familiar dull throbbing returning to his temples. Fuck this, he just needed to get to the ring. Grabbing his water bottle, Paul headed for the Gorilla and tried to push all the bullshit in his head to the side. Tonight was a big night. He couldn't afford any distractions.


	4. Do You Know Me

_**A/N - So this is dedicated to our wonderful couples 10th wedding anniversary today. Who would have thought all those years ago that they'd be where they are now? I mean, he fucking drugged her for crying out loud lol. They kind of are perfection though so yes, have another 10 more years and bring us lots of squees thank you.**_

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_**It's just the strangest thing, I've seen your face somewhere…An early evening dream, A past life love affair…Do you know me? At all…**_

Stephanie strode down the corridor with an air of authority surrounding her that only came from being born into the first family of wrestling. Her heels clacked against the floor, announcing her presence to anybody in earshot. All the sideways glances and fake smiles weren't enough to ruin her mood right now. She had well and truly missed the rush of being backstage. The doors didn't open for another couple of hours but already things were hectic with everybody running around trying to get ready for show time. Her body was flowing with adrenaline and she could only imagine what it was going to be like when she was actually out there or when the fans started filtering in. Speaking of which, it was high time somebody filled her in on just what exactly she was here for. Her father had mentioned a family reunion of sorts in the ring but she wasn't sure what good that was going to do. There must be a reason behind it or maybe it was just going to be a dark segment for the MSG fans? Her mind was running amuck with every thought under the sun as she stalked past the production room and headed straight for her father's office. She knocked on the door and peeped around the edge, her face lighting up upon seeing her whole family sitting together waiting for her. Three smiling faces beamed back.

"Steph!" Vince boomed happily, quickly getting out of his seat to greet his daughter with a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. He didn't see her as often as he wanted to these days. He was always on the road and she worked at the office now. It was hard trying to match their schedules and times like these, when he saw her after an extended period of absence he felt his heart swell with love. No matter how old she got she would always be his little girl. "It's so great to have you here, honey. I miss having you around, we all do."

Stephanie slowly released her father and looked into his warm eyes. Damn she missed him. "I miss you too, dad." She affectionately rubbed his arm then moved on to her mother, both women extending the same heartfelt greeting to the other. Finally she turned to her brother to find him standing there with that smirk on his face. "Shane," she beamed and pulled him into a hug without giving him a chance to back out. "It's great to see you."

"You too, sis. You really shouldn't be such a stranger you know that?" Shane half joked. The truth was, he felt her absence probably more than anybody else. It was difficult dealing with their father on his own. If something fucked up, it was solely left to Shane to take the brunt of the tirade. It was no longer split between the two of them. Call him selfish but it was hard going. And more than anything else, he just missed his sister. He understood why she had initially been so eager to get away but it had been three years now. She had met Mario and moved on. Surely to God that was enough.

"Where's Mario?" Linda asked as the four McMahon's sat around the coffee table. She had expected him to be with Stephanie.

"He's actually running late but he'll be here in time. Turns out the meeting that he rescheduled had to be rescheduled again so he's just coming later."

"Busy man," Vince commented vaguely, ignoring the look from his wife.

Stephanie rolled her eyes as Shane chuckled lowly. Her dad was never going to be happy no matter who she dated. She could be seeing Jesus and he'd still find something wrong with him. He thought Mario was always too busy. He wasn't, it just so happened that every time they were supposed to meet, it clashed with something in his work and he turned up late. She knew her father didn't approve of such horrible behaviour. Apparently showing up late for the almighty Vince McMahon left you in the bad books for an inordinate amount of time. Funny that seeing how he was late for almost everything himself. Before Mario it had been Paul who just happened to be committing career suicide by starting a relationship that supposedly wasn't good for anybody involved. Although she had to admit, she always got the feeling that her father genuinely liked the idea of her being with Paul. She knew he respected him a ton, probably because he was in the business and he knew him. How ironic that the one man daddy dearest actually liked was the one he flat out forbade a relationship with? Before Paul it had been Greg 'the painter' as her father so lovingly referred to him as. Not having a real profession was insulting and that was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to that relationship. Hell, Stephanie could distinctly remember the sheer look of complete fear on her date's face on prom night after her dad promised to castrate him if he even thought about touching 'his only daughter' inappropriately. If only he knew what they had gotten up to that night. The thought made her smirk, but it was gone as soon as it appeared when she spied the open script lying on the table between the half empty Starbucks cups. "Don't worry, he'll be here before we go on the air. Speaking of which…"

Shane bit back his grin. The fun was about to start, of that he had no doubt. He caught his mother's eye across the table and was forced to bite his lip harder at the stern look shot in his direction. Shit, it was time to meet, fan. "Yeah, speaking of which, why don't we fill her in," he piped up enthusiastically and relaxed into his chair. He could see the wheels spinning in his father's head as he prepared his sales pitch. It was time to sit back and watch the master go to work. Vince McMahon could sell ice to an Eskimo. It was rather ridiculous when you thought about it. Needless to say, his sister wasn't getting the chance to ease herself back into this. She was getting kicked into the deep end and she wasn't getting out for a long time yet.

"I'd love to!" Vince began, sitting forward, his elbows resting on his thighs. "So, first of all I suppose I should tell you that this isn't just going to be a one night deal, Steph. We're expecting to have you at the shows for the next couple of months and then heading into Wrestlemania."

Silence.

Vince simply took that as his cue to continue. "I mean this is Wrestlemania twenty! Twenty years of Wrestlemania, Steph. We want it to be as big as it can possibly be and we're going to have the story reach its climax there. The McMahon family, our family, at the show we created, the biggest show of all time, in this very building itself in just a couple of months I mean God! This is going to be great."

"Dad," Stephanie interrupted as she felt her temperature begin to rise. "I don't even….a full time….what the hell story are we even talking about here?" She couldn't believe this! He hadn't mentioned anything of the sort when he first asked her to appear tonight. Her father and Shane were both playing heels on TV at the minute and were involved in a feud with…..no…..no, no, no, no. Her heart sank as the realisation hit her like a Mack truck.

Linda noticed her daughter's expression grow tight and frowned. She knew this was a bad idea or it wouldn't have been so bad had Vince told Stephanie about this before she got here. Don't get her wrong, the storyline was a brilliant idea but her husband's execution certainly wasn't winning him any points with her or their daughter. She was pretty sure a certain somebody else wasn't going to be too impressed either when he got here. Make that two certain somebody else's actually now that she thought about it.

"You know what story I'm talking about. Don't tell me you haven't been watching?"

"Of course I've been watching, I'm always watching," Stephanie said adamantly, the almost offended look on his face irritating her. She was always watching and that was her problem. The McMahon men were on a righteous power trip on the show right now and last week somebody finally stood up to them, somebody the fans had gone wild for and somebody she knew all too well.

Knock. Knock

All eyes turned to the door as it slowly opened and a large figure stepped through drinking from a water bottle. Vince smiled, Linda grimaced, Shane smirked and Stephanie lost her breath.

Paul closed the door behind him, not really paying attention to who was in the room until he saw a pair of wide blue eyes staring at him like he was a ghost. Suddenly he swallowed the water in his mouth along with the lump that quickly formed with it and blinked hard, not quite sure he could believe what he was seeing. His head tilted slightly, his gaze anxious. "Stephanie? I didn't…I didn't know you..were going to be here…"

Putting on a brave face, Stephanie forced a smile and shot to her feet. "Paul! It's so great to see you I mean, God, it's been years." Her feet took the few steps towards him until they were face to face. She couldn't believe this was happening no less in front of her entire family. God this was absolutely mortifying. Just at the same time she opened her arms to greet with him a friendly hug, he stuck his hand out for a handshake and they ended up a bumbled mess.

Shane cringed hard as he watched them. He could feel the awkwardness and tension in the room tenfold. How in the name of God were they going to be able to work together when they couldn't even get a simple greeting right? This had disaster written all over it.

"How are you?" Stephanie said through gritted teeth, her cheeks growing hot from the embarrassment of what just happened although it wasn't all embarrassment. The simple truth was, she hadn't seen this man in three years and it immediately had an effect on her. His hair was wet and hanging around his shoulders, soaking the black t-shirt that stretched across his massive frame. He was wearing black shorts and already had his boots on. She figured he had just come from the ring, in fact she _knew_ that's exactly where he had been. Even after all this time she still knew everything about him. It was overwhelming just having him in front of her never mind the thoughts that started to pillage her brain of her former life with him. Her hands began to shake.

"I'm…..surprised," Paul admitted truthfully. His gaze turned to his boss who was sitting there smiling like an idiot for some reason. "What's going on, Vince?"

"What do you mean what's going on! This is it, this is our Wrestlemania main event! In fact, we're just waiting for one more person to arrive and we can get this show on the road."

Paul tried not to snarl. He felt blindsided and he could tell that Stephanie was just as surprised as he was. His annoyed gaze caught hers and they stared at each other before she looked away. How could things have grown so terse between them that she couldn't even look at him for longer than a second?

"Let me guess, grandma's going to come walking through the door, right? Then we can make it a true family affair," Stephanie groaned in annoyance. Her initial shock had worn off and now she could see where this was going a mile off. Vince and Shane were heels, Triple H had refused to do their dirty work. It was obvious where this was heading and she was infuriated that her father hadn't bothered to fill her in until now. She could understand him using these tactics on others but she was his daughter for Christ sakes!

"Mind your tone, Stephanie," Vince warned. Personally he didn't see the problem. This storyline was money. "This is going to make us a lot of money. Stop being so selfish and think of the business."

It was on the tip of her tongue to lash out and scream that her thinking of the business was the reason she _left_ the business in the first place, the TV part of it anyways. And all six foot four of it was staring her in the face right now.

"Vince…" Paul began. He was just about to voice his obvious concern about working this program when there was another tap at the door. His hazel eyes turned to see Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman walk inside. Suddenly he felt stifled. There was too many people in this damn room and he was finding it hard to breathe.

"Brock! Paul! That's everybody here now so why don't we all take a seat and I'll run through this," Vince boomed happily, simply ignoring the daggers shot his direction from two people in the room. "Guys, this right here is our Wrestlemania main event. Hunter, you've been carrying Raw. Brock, you've been carrying Smackdown. I want to reward you both by giving you the main event at the biggest show our company has ever produced. Not only that, I see this as an opportunity to write myself and Shane off television because I think both I and the fans need the break. Speaking of which, Hunter, you've been getting a lot of pops recently and last week we started your baby face turn by having you refuse to do what I ordered. Over the course of the next couple of weeks that's going to play out further. Eventually we're going to end up in a situation where it will be Linda, Stephanie and Triple H fighting against Vince and Shane. Obviously I'm going to need a guy to fight my battles and that's where you come in, Brock."

Brock nodded his head and absently creaked his neck. "Great. I'm going to be your hired gun but what happens with Paul?" It felt mighty tense when he walked into the room and he had the distinct feeling that something pretty major had gone down just before he and Paul had arrived. Whatever it was, it was none of his business. He was working the Wrestlemania main event with Triple H. It was a match he had wanted for a long time and he was very happy with it. He just wanted to know where this left his manager and good friend in all this.

At this point Shane spoke up. "Paul's going to stay with you, Brock. It's basically going to reach a point where we'll enlist the services of Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman to represent us in a fight for control of the WWE at Wrestlemania. We'll all be one big group together, the bad guys joining forces if you will."

"This sounds….really good actually," Heyman piped in. To say he wary about coming here to begin with was an understatement but he was thrilled with the result. This story had a lot of potential and from the looks two certain people were throwing each other it was going to be a lot of fun as well. He was no personal friend of the McMahon family and admittedly, the prospect of Hunter and Stephanie at each other's throats or working together again amused him to no end.

"I have a question," Paul stated although in the back of his head he already knew the answer and he was dreading it. "Steph and myself….are we…."

"Married for the story? Yes."

Paul nodded his head in defeat and let out an exasperated sigh. "Yeah, I thought as much." His tone was short and voice clipped. It wasn't often he showed disapproval towards his boss but right now he was incredibly pissed off. He and Stephanie broke up three years ago because working together made them realise their feelings for one another. Now they were being forced into it all over again. Before he could go any further, his future 'wife' took up the mantle for him.

"Dad, I can't believe you didn't tell me this before I got here. You said this was one night, for me to appear at MSG for one night. Now I'm written into the main event storyline of Wrestlemania! What about my responsibilities at the office? You didn't even ask me if I wanted to do this!" Stephanie rambled, her anger at the situation bubbling to the surface.

Vince simply held his hand up, effectively silencing his daughter. He was in no mood for her temper tantrum, especially not in front of their present company. "Stephanie."

Stephanie bit back her snarl. From the look on his face she knew now was not the time to press him but he could sure as hell bank on her reading him the riot act when they were alone.

"As far as tonight goes, Brock and Paul, you'll have a small backstage segment with Shane, just to plant the seeds of what's to come down the line. You won't fully become involved for a couple of weeks. I want it to have a huge impact!" Vince began to get excited. "I want Triple H in the ring thinking he's got one over on us and then BOOM! Your music hits and I announce you as my representative for Wrestlemania and you two guys beat the hell out of each other in a brawl to kick start the second part of the story. It's going to be great! I can see it in my head and I'm getting excited, dammit!"

Lesnar smiled at Heyman and chanced a quick look at his soon to be opponent. The previously sour look on his face had changed to a reluctant smile. Vince's enthusiasm was infectious and Brock was genuinely looking forward to the program. He knew all about Stephanie and Hunter's past relationship. But that was their business. They were both professionals and he expected them to sort their shit out. He wasn't about to let their petty problems ruin his payday. "I can't wait and Hunter," he fully turned to face the other man, extending his hand. "I can't wait to do business with you either. It's been a long time coming."

Paul smiled at Brock and shook his hand eagerly. He had no problem at all working with him and had been anticipating a top level program for quite some time. "That it has, man. We'll tear the house down I know it."

"Absolutely."

Brock and Heyman left the room all smiles. The atmosphere behind them was anything but. After the door clicked shut another wave of tension surrounded the remaining occupants. Stephanie hadn't said a word since she was effectively told to keep quiet. In fact, she simply stared at the floor still not quite believing this was real. Her eyes quickly glanced up at Paul. He was picking at his shorts, his big hand playing with the black mesh material and exposing parts of his thigh. Unable to stop herself she took a good long look at him. He hadn't changed much, the only difference his slightly thicker than usual beard. It wasn't neatly trimmed along his jaw like it used to be, now covering his cheeks and slightly darker in colour due to its thickness. A pang of…something…gripped her stomach as she took him in. Three years later and she couldn't deny her attraction to this man. Now she was going to have to pretend to be his wife again. God this was going to get messy, she just knew it. She became startled when his eyes locked with hers for the briefest of moments before his deep voice penetrated the room.

"So tonight? What the hell is happening tonight and more importantly than that, how are Triple H and Stephanie supposed to be married after their bitter break up a few years ago."

Bitter break up. Stephanie wondered just who exactly he was talking about. She hoped it was Hunter and Stephanie because Paul and Stephanie's break up had been anything but bitter. They both let go because of their love and respect for the business. It had broken her heart but she was past it now. Working with him again absolutely was not going to be a problem. She was a professional for God sakes and so was he, the ultimate professional as a matter of fact. It was just a stupid storyline, nothing more, nothing less.


	5. Give A Little More

_**I'm waiting for something, always waiting…Feeling nothing, wondering if it'll ever change…And then I give a little more, oh babe…Give a little more, oh babe…**_

Paul entered the hotel room and flicked the light on with an angry swipe of his hand. What a fucking day. All he wanted to do was get into bed and imagine that it never even happened. It had been a week since his life got turned upside down. All his life he practically lived and breathed to get to Wrestlemania. This year he was dreading it and not because of his opponent. He couldn't wait to work with Brock. It was the other bullshit that came with it all wrapped up in the nice neat ball of one Stephanie McMahon.

God she had been such a pill to work with today. She had arrived over an hour late which caused Vince to flip his shit which in turn caused a huge McMahon family war which _then_ caused Stephanie to pretty much be a bitch on wheels for the rest of the night. She was moody and short with him whenever he tried to make any form of conversation. He just couldn't believe that this is who she was now. In fact, he refused to believe it and as much as it pained him, he was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt because he knew who she was as a person, or at least who she used to be. He'd absolutely hate to think that she had turned into a walking stereotype of herself. Late at night when they were alone together she always used to ask him what the boys said about her. It was in those moments that he realised how strongly his feelings were. She didn't need to hear the shit they said and she shouldn't care. Stephanie wore a brave face, she had to being the daughter of Vince McMahon, but at night with just the soft moonlight shining on her face, her insecurities also shone through. The fact that she had needed his reassurance made him love her even more. She was perfect to him but never to herself. All he had ever wanted to do was protect her and make her see herself the way he did. Although he wasn't too sure he would want her to see herself the way he had seen her tonight. Funny how he could quite possibly be the reason behind that change in attitude. He liked to think not. It had been three years since they broke up. Acting like a bitch because of something that happened that long ago wasn't an excuse. He let out a sigh and stared aimlessly at the ceiling. Tomorrow was Smackdown and he had to do it all over again. They had a lot of solo scenes together. Wasn't that going to be fun?

A light rapping at the door brought him to his feet and he slowly approached the polished pine. His big hand pulled it open to reveal a smiling Trish Stratus on the other side. She didn't wait for an invitation and quickly sauntered inside, coming to a stop at the edge of his bed. God he wasn't in the mood for this right now.

"Well don't look at me like that, you're the one who invited me here," Trish laughed lightly at the almost grumpy look on his face. "If you tell me you forgot I'm going to be highly offended by the way." Her voice dropped as she reached out and toyed with the waistline of his jeans, her chest pressing into his.

Paul couldn't help but respond to the feel of her breasts rubbing against his cotton shirt. Her intentions were clear yet they always were. There were no blurred lines. They only spent time together to fuck, that was it. If they weren't fucking, they had no reason to talk. His guilty conscience sprang to the fore and his eyes slid shut as she scraped her nails under the hem of the grey material. He was lying to himself again. It seemed to be his automatic defence mechanism when it came to Trish. No matter what he couldn't see this thing between them as anything other than him using her for a quick lay. It didn't matter that she was using him too. He just felt like a bastard. He had to see her everyday and no matter how hard he tried, this wasn't strictly sexual any more. They had reached the point of being comfortable together now, maybe a little too comfortable. They talked after sex and once or twice even cuddled. It was obvious where his conflicted conscience was coming from but as usual he preferred to ignore it. Tonight of all nights he wasn't going to play shrink. In fact, all he wanted to do was go to bed.

"Trish…"

"Is everything okay?" Trish whispered, her teeth nibbling on his ear while she dropped her hand to faintly brush against his crotch. She was barely listening to him. She'd had a shit night and wanted nothing more than to unwind the best way she knew how. Paul was her stress relief and lately she had been relying on him a little too much in that regard. Her mother had taken ill and she constantly felt like she was walking on eggshells. It was exhausting checking home, being on the road and wrestling every night. Being with him allowed her to escape from everything else and just feel. Pure and simple, he got her off better than anybody else ever had and so long as he was on the table, she'd keep coming back for more. She nipped her way from his ear to his mouth, fusing their lips together in a slow kiss.

"Hmmm," he groaned absently, completely forgetting himself and pulling her into him as he fell back on to the bed. She straddled his lap with a smirk on her face and pressed her lips to his once again, her hips rocking into him suggestively. But his hands didn't come to rest at her waist and aid her movements like they usually did. Instead they remained at his sides. Undeterred, Trish slowly ran her hands down his chest, her fingers bunching his t-shirt so she could open his belt while their tongues rolled together. The buckle clanked and fell loose. It was a sound that never failed to make her tingle in anticipation. She really needed this tonight. Her body was wound and quite frankly, she was surprised he didn't have her flat on her back already. His lack of response to her touch was concerning. She let her nails scrape against the smooth skin of his abdomen, scratching at the indents in his sculpted hips and moving lower. But he caught her hand and lightly brushed it away.

"What's wrong," she mumbled breathlessly against his jaw. When his hands brought about a deliberate stop to her grinding hips she pulled back and stared at him strangely. "Paul?"

"I'm sorry I just…."he trailed off. He didn't know what the fuck was wrong with him. God this was embarrassing he thought as he gently shifted from under her and moved to sit at the edge of the bed.

Trish caught her breath, fixing her dishevelled hair and looked at him for a few seconds. He was hanging over his knees with his head in his hands. Shuffling closer, she rubbed his arm and forced him to look at her. "You want to talk about it?"

The last thing he wanted to do was talk about it. He just wanted to be left alone.

"We are still friends, Paul. You can talk to….."

"Are we? Because I don't know what the hell we are."

"Stop it." Trish said firmly. Stephanie had really thrown him for a loop tonight that was for sure. She'd never seen him so irritated. Reaching out, she took both his hands and squeezed. "Don't do that. Don't complicate things. We both know what this is." His hazel eyes properly met with hers for the first time and she smiled solemnly. "We both know what we are."

"Trish…" Paul was about to apologise again when her fingers gently pressed against his mouth cutting him off. The way she was looking at him right now was more than enough to make him forget the bullshit. Her expression was dark, her face wanton.

Trish slowly ran her fingers over his lips, his chest, coming to a stop at the already open fly of his jeans. "Don't…..I need you tonight."

Her voice was a seductive whisper and Paul's eyes slid shut as he let her wash over him. He may not want to admit it but he needed her too. Tonight of all nights he just wanted to get lost in something, in someone. With a newfound desire, he cupped her cheek and kissed her hard, flipping her on to her back and crawling over her as he ground himself against her, letting her feel his resurgent need for her. The feel of her hands dipping inside his jeans forced his eyes shut and he buried his head in her neck, letting her work her magic.

Trish gripped him firmly with one hand while she ran the other along his strained bicep as he held himself above her. His head lifted from her neck and they locked gazes. His expression was almost pained and she truly felt for him. Tonight couldn't have been easy. Her hand flexed and began to pump him slowly and she watched as the tension left his face. He needed her tonight, whether he knew it or not, she didn't really care. They needed each other. She would make him forget. She always did.


End file.
